WEEK 27: What's Happening

Violette at 26.5 weeks

How Far Along:  27 weeks 1 day {WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE THIRD TRIMESTER!}

Baby's Size: about 15" long, and a little over 2 lbs the size of a Rutabaga

Total Weight Gain: 16 lbs 

Maternity Clothes? Slowly taking over my wardrobe

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Sometimes, Jeremy had bronchitis this week, so he (on doctor's orders) did not sleep in the bed with me the last few days. Some nights I slept very hard and very deep, and others I barely slept at all. One note, the baby didn't wake me up in the night when he wasn't there... maybe she can hear his snoring, too!

Best Moment this Week: Jeremy and I went to see Dr. Medrano on Wednesday, (before we knew he had bronchitis of course) and Dr. Medrano said the most amazing thing to me, EVER! He said...

"For being an at-risk patient, you are 

having a SURPRISINGLY HEALTHY pregnancy!"

It totally made my day! :) And the little one FINALLY showed her face! (not on a 3d ultrasound though) but Dr. Medrano was looking at her spine, and she turned her head and looked right at us! She stayed there for a few seconds and then turned back. She moved before he was able to snap a photo.
All I can say is that it appears that she is going to have cheeks like mine. Hahaha.

My sister, Crescent, and Baby Me (with the big cheeks)!

Miss Anything? Since Jeremy was sick he wasn't supposed to be around me, so I missed HIM all weekend. :(

Movement: There is a whole lot of kicking going on! Mostly when I am lying down, the doctor said its because the blood flow isn't being directed to my extremities so its all going to her, and that gives her more energy.

Food Cravings: On Saturday, I wanted a hot dog. So I went to Weinerschnitzel. (and it was DER-licious!) Mostly though, I just crave Vanilla Ice Cream.

What Makes you Queasy: Chicken. And when Dovey kills a fly!

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor signs? None

Symptoms: Fatigue, Soreness, Gaining a bowling ball, Waddling, etc.

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Off, but I have been wearing a lia sophia replacement ring :)

Mood: It was a really rough weekend, with Jeremy being sick I was feeling quite alone - and Disabled! It was like my best friend was on vacation without me, and I couldn't call or spend time with them. And, Once again I had no help to move the heavy things that I needed moved. I even tried to move some of the lighter ones myself, but it wasn't happening. I am growing weaker I think! It's sad - he had bronchitis but I felt like I was the one being punished because I was the one who was quarantined!

On another note, I was feeling very productive when planning this meal session - I had labels and menus and first steps all laid out. But I was feeling a bit more energetic when I made the lists I think, because I was overzealous with the menu - and chose 4 recipes too much! We didn't finish as a result. :( Next time I will do less recipes, but more times. We always have some favorites mixed in - so we can just triple those recipes instead. 

What's the Daddy-to-be Doing? He is feeling better now, he has been taking the steroids for days - he was kind of funny about keeping me healthy, walking around with Lysol wipes, wiping down everything he touched and washing his hands like crazy. The doctor must have scared him with a tale of what could happen if I got sick too, (we go to the same doctor, so Dr. Smietanka knew of course that I was pregnant from the start). I have never seen Jeremy go to such lengths to steer clear of me! It was sweet, but ANNOYING too - Two weekends in a row that I was left husband-less!

Notes to the Little One: You really like to wake mommy up in the middle of the night, don't you? I know that one of the nights it was easy to blame Eva dog - she sat way to hard on you while mommy was sleeping, and you went NUTS kicking her back. But the next night you woke up all by yourself and decided I needed to be awake, too. But I was SO TIRED. I woke up for about 2 hours and then drifted back to sleep finally - and only got an extra hour of sleep. I had to take a 3 hour nap the next day to make up for it. But alas, I survived.

Your daddy and I were SO EXCITED when we saw your face on the ultrasound - :) - it was only 30 seconds, but you definitely looked right at us! It was what we had been waiting for for months! LOL.

This week is my deadline again... (yes, I know... AGAIN?)! It happens once a month but the time between the months seems to be getting shorter and shorter! (Probably because you keep stealing my sleep!) This time Angie is going to do a lot more of the layout, (Angie is the one who is going to do Mama's job for her when  you are born), so we are hoping and praying that everything runs smoothly. 

WEEK 26: What's Happening

How Far Along:  26 weeks 1 day

Baby's Size: 14.8" the size of a head of ice burg lettuce (approx 2.5 lbs)

Total Weight Gain: 15.5 lbs 

Maternity Clothes? Worn daily for comfort... though I did buy them a little big so that I won't have to buy many!

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Last night was hit and miss, but I slept a little sounder, and I took a nap during the day. Most nights are filled with anxiety or fear dreams - like random people trying to kill me. I had stopped having them for about 2 years, but I guess the new baby has stirred them back up again. 

Best Moment this Week: Jeremy let me have a 'craft project' for the baby's room {well actually two - he won't let me throw away his old lamp so that revamp is by default!} but I found the most amazing mobile for above the crib (in my opinion of course) of vibrantly colored bunting on a neutral palatte - and its spread throughout the room very subtly. The sample is for a boy, but I just added some yellows teals and purples to the fabrics I chose so that it fits with the ideas we had existing.  I don't think I will need to do the rain clouds anymore either, Auntie Agnes surprised me with something much cooler! I am excited to get started. We also plan to use miniature versions of the bunting on the crib skirt, and perhaps the lampshade (attached to that horrible lamp that needs a complete overhaul!) so that it all ties in together. :)

mobile inspiration - Lennon's Nursery

I went to two different fabric stores before I found the right fabrics - and even then it was a challenge to get them all to go together. These crafty trips have always been nothing but fun for me, but I found myself overwhelmed and anxious at both visits. I am guessing that I shouldn't be attempting shopping by myself right now... (we all know how much I LOVE shopping! NOT!)

Miss Anything? I miss sandwiches. The other day I went to an event where I didn't know if I would be able to eat (as the standard main dish at events is chicken) and I thought - no problem, I can bring something! Only everything that I can eat has to be heated up, and there would be no manner in which to do that. Thankfully they opted for an Italian lunch so I was not starving, but being able to eat a normal cold sandwich would have helped alot. This lack of peanut butter is sad indeed!

Movement: A LOT OF MOVEMENT. It's like she never stops! At my event we had to sit from 9am - 4pm and for about 5 of those hours she was kicking me like a ninja. I kept having to stand up and walk around in hopes that she would stop! Last night she started right as we went to bed, and Jeremy placed his hand on my belly and just felt her kick until he fell asleep. 

Food Cravings: The past week it had been pizza. And then last night it was chili. Thankfully fall is upon us! I am excited for wintery comfort foods :)

What Makes you Queasy: Chicken. (Turkey by default). Peanuts. Lettuce.

Gender: It's a tenacious little girl for sure! LOL

Labor signs? None

Symptoms: Lack of energy, lots of eating, alien movement in my belly, waddling, muscle aches and pains, etc.

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Off, but I found a lia sophia ring that I had that is a little larger than my regular so I have been wearing that one instead :)

Mood: I looked at my google calendar today, and started to get scared. I added the countdown to the Sundays so that I could be correct on my countdown for the blog... but it worried me quite a bit! September is almost over! And October is going to be very busy with lots of baby showers to go to (including mine!) and then November has holidays mixed in - and December will be baby time! They say you don't realize how fast 9 months goes until you are in it... but I seem to recall every year saying WOW... it's already June, last week it was January! I guess the only reason you stop to realize how fast it goes is when a big event is happening that you can count it down to.

What's the Daddy-to-be Doing? He had to work all weekend to help a coworker who was terrified that he would get fired if he messed up this big project over the weekend. So it went from Jeremy being home all weekend, to him being gone from 8am to 8pm both days in the heart of the ghetto in Los Angeles. I am glad that he wasn't there alone! They seem to think that the problem is fixed though, and hopefully his coworker can rest easy now. He is such a helper this guy...

Notes to the Little One: Hey little lady, what on earth is going on in there? It's like you never stop bouncing around and kicking like crazy. Is it something that I am eating? It's okay, I know that it just means that you are healthy and growing so it's not too bad, but sometimes you kick me in the wrong spot and it hurts! We are definitely going to have to work on the schedule you are on, too - but that can wait until after the big show! Slowly but surely everything is starting to fall into place, and we are excited for your arrival, but by no means ready! Please take your time and come when the doctor says its okay! Your Mama has just started to do this whole 'nesting' thingy and needs all the time she can get!

Next weekend is Baby Jaxson's baby shower, and the week after that is Baby Elizabeth's! You are going to have so many little friends when you arrive! (and even though  you will be the youngest, chances are you might be the tallest, too! - Just like your Mama!)

Tomorrow morning, I have to do the glucose testing - (the things I do for you!) and then Wednesday we have another appointment with Doctor Medrano. Maybe you could be awake for that one!? We would love to see your kicking skills on the little screen!

WEEK 25: What's Happening

Violette's 25 week diagnostic appointment with Dr. Lee -  still hiding!

How Far Along:  25 weeks 2 days

Baby's Size: 13.6-14.8 inches, 1.5-2.2 lb. The size of a cauliflower.

Total Weight Gain: 14.5 lbs 

Maternity Clothes? Same - mostly bottoms but now my tops aren't fitting. Time to shop for more tops!

Stretch Marks? Not yet

Sleep? In Las Vegas I slept like a log! I don't know if it was the exhaustion from all the walking, or the comfy bed... but I was out like a light whenever my head hit the pillow. Last night, when we got home, I slept less - I kept worrying about the alarm and the noises. One thing I can say about the resort, it was so much quieter than our house!

Best Moment this Week: Jeremy and I went on a mini vacation to Vegas, we thought we should go on one last trip before the baby arrived. Vegas is alot less fun when you are pregnant though! LOL. The smoky casinos bother you even more, and the walking is intense. Not to mention all the drunk people! We still had fun though, I was able to visit with my friend Jacqui for a bit, get a little shopping in (yes, I know that's WEIRD for me to enjoy shopping!) and had some yummy food while we were there. 

Miss Anything? Still miss Sushi, but I am getting over it.

Movement: A TON OF MOVEMENT. This kid has started her pedaling I think! It's like a non-stop stomping for 10 - 20 minutes at a time a few times a day. They say its the same movement as pedaling a bicycle - hence the name - she is actually doing it now as I type. 

Food Cravings: While in Vegas I craved breakfast, steak, and hot dogs. The last one was weird, I had a few bites of one and was over it. LOL.

What Makes you Queasy: Chicken and anything that shares the same consistency. Jeremy ordered a Monte Cristo while we were gone and they used roast turkey in it, it looked just like chicken and it was all I could do to not get woozy. That may be the first time a Monte Cristo did not look appetizing to me.

Gender: Dr Lee confirmed that she is still a girl!

Labor signs? None

Symptoms: Exhaustion, waddling, constantly feeding. The normal stuff.

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Off :(

Mood: I definitely enjoyed our vacation - mostly the ginormous bathtub that was in my room that I soaked in all three days. It was well worth the cost of admission! I am feeling pretty rested now, hopefully it will filter in through the week as I go back to work today.

What's the Daddy-to-be Doing? He is feeling rested too - we were in need of a vacation!  He got to play a tournament and his fishy slot game and was happy.

I've gone up one whole pant size - and growing! Sorry for the bad hair/makeup day - I was exhausted!

Notes to the Little One: We went to see Dr Lee on Wednesday, and we really were hoping to see your face, as it's the last chance we may get for it until the big reveal - but you weren't having it! Your little hands were covering so good that we only got to see your hands. The side view wasn't too bad though - and we were able to see an extreme closeup of both of your hands, one down at your side, the other up by your face. Perfect little hands, which I thought was pretty amazing in itself. If course you were wiggling when he tried to take a snapshot of them, so that pic was a little blurry, but alas - we saw them pretty good. You are allowed to be shy, but just not with your mommy and daddy! :)

I think you have changed my body quite a bit this weekend - I noticed my belly changing shape each day - hard to miss as there were mirrors all throughout the room. One day I stood in front of the mirror and watched you pedaling away on my tummy. So much activity in there! I am hoping you won't be too active when you come out here - your dad and I are feeling pretty old lately - LOL, and we have to try to keep up with you for the next 50 years or so. Please go slowly for our sakes!

WEEK 24: What's Happening

She didn't want to sit still for the photo - so her hand was blurry.
I wonder if the noise of the sonogram bothers her? She's always covering her ears!

How Far Along:   24 weeks 1 day

Baby's Size: 11.5" the size of a cantelope (over 1 lb in weight!)

Total Weight Gain: 13 lbs (Doctor said I am right where I am supposed to be! I was behind for a few months!)

Maternity Clothes? Requiring more and more every week! 

Stretch Marks? Nothing new

Sleep? Yesterday I got home and took a nap, not because I was exhausted from the day - I was exhausted from getting sick when I got home from lunching with the parents. (I am certain we will not be returning to Oggi's Canyon Country anytime soon. That was food poisoning, not morning sickness). Overall though my sleep has been about 7 hours a night, a little broken up with lots of tossing and turning, but not too bad.

Best Moment this Week: I was really excited to send the two books I was working on to press! :) As for baby moments, seeing the doctor on Friday was good for me - he told me that I am doing just fine, the baby is growing just fine and that we are progressing well. Violette even waved to us on the ultrasound when he was closeup on her fingers.... perfect little tiny fingers. :)

Miss Anything? Peanut Butter. That's the only thing she won't let me eat! Oh, and Wine, but I am okay with not drinking wine. I just miss the flavor and the way it pairs with the food I make.

Movement: Violette started kicking hard enough on Saturday that it could be felt by the outside! Jeremy got to feel them, AND we watched her kick the remote for about 10 minutes straight. It was bobbing and weaving like crazy! Thankfully they don't hurt (yet) but it definitely feels strange! like someone is tapping you with a pencil. It even kind of looked like a pencil was pushing up on my tummy!

Food Cravings: Nothing really this week - until last night when I started to crave Shrimp. I ate it alot more in my first few months than I have been this month, might be time to throw it back into rotation :)

What Makes you Queasy: Chicken. Oggi's. I am so very upset about Oggi's, I used to love that place, but now that they made me sicker than I was throughout the first trimester in one day... I'm thinking no.

Labor signs? None

Symptoms: Alien movement, growing abdomen, fatigue, soreness. My chiropractor got me back to even (one leg had been a lot shorter than the other due to muscle tightening...) I was REALLY glad when that pain went away. 

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Off, but safely kept.

Mood: I am starting to miss my family. My cousins and my grandma in central cali, my family in nor cal - I am really excited for my baby shower and hoping that some of them can make it. I know my mom is coming so that's good. I think I will get more excited once the RSVPs start coming in ;) 

What's the Daddy-to-be Doing? He is feeling much more caught up than last week. He is almost all up to date on his time sheets, so he can work in real time, and he feels so much better since we had some help with the house work. Today he is going to tackle the lawns and play catch up a little more for work, but he is much less stressed.

On a baby note, he was so excited when he felt Violette's strong kicks the other night. His eyes got really big and he had the cheesiest smile ever. I am glad that we are experiencing these firsts together. Violette sure likes kicking when her daddy is around. She is already going to be enamored with him I can tell. Just like I was with my Daddy.

Notes to the Little One: Last night I had a dream about your Grandpa Crash and your Auntie Johanna - two people that you will not have the pleasure of meeting but they really meant a lot to your Mommy and have made me the person that I am today. I hope that I can teach you some of the life lessons that they taught to me.  In my dream, you were here! - and they were holding you close and giving you love just like they would if they were here too. My daddy looked as though he thought he would break you, but I assured him that you were a tough girl just like your Mama and he relaxed quite a bit. Auntie Jo had what I call a 'perma-smile' on her face, laughing and smiling like crazy - I was sure her cheeks were going to hurt later. She just couldn't take her eyes off of you. I must say that I am glad to know that you have so many angels watching over you that love you so much, both in Heaven and on Earth. You will most definitely be loved!

Well kiddo - we have made it to the point where they are going to make your mom test for Diabetes. I have had this test before (when I was ALOT younger) and I clearly remember the flavored syrup that they make you drink. YUCK! {Hopefully you won't protest it - it's not like I'd be giving it to you on purpose!} Sometime this week I will need to take care of that test, but I really want to imagine I have already done it! :) It will be worth it (kind of?) when we know that there aren't any issues. This is a good thing though - that we made it to this stage without any issues! The doctor already said that we were doing really well - all caught up to where we were supposed to be!

This weekend was productive, and tiring! Dad worked on the lawn a little bit - adjusting sprinklers, etc - that heat we had the last few weeks added a burn spot in our grass. :( He thinks by doubling up the water at 2 different times a day for a week will solve the issue. Fingers crossed! (I know, crossing your fingers is a silly phrase, it just means that we hope that it works!) We are excited that our friends and family are coming to celebrate you for the Baby Shower and wan't the grass to look really pretty!

Note to my Readers: I will try to do a belly pic this week! It has grown - ALOT - since the last photo. Last week was my deadline so we didn't have any time to take one, but I will do my best this week. We have a 3d Ultrasound on Wednesday as well - so there will be a better photo of Violette next week, too!

WEEK 23: What's Happening

How Far Along:  23 weeks 1 day

I have to say - knowing which week I am in is getting really confusing. What to Expect sends you notices one week ahead... meaning my week 24 newsletter just came today, but my Gerber/The Bump/Baby Center newsletters are for week 23. I always have to look at my calendar, so technically I am on the first day starting week 23, but am in the first day OF week 24, (of meaning leading up to) so they are both right, but the information is tricky and jacked up a bit! Of the 4 options, I like The Bump the best.

Baby's Size: 10.5"-11.8" the size of a papaya - should be over a pound now! 

Total Weight Gain: 10 lbs 

Maternity Clothes? My clothing options are dwindling! Maternity Jeans, Maternity Pants, a few skirts, and whatever my largest, loosest shirts are. It's kind of pathetic when you see how many clothes I have versus the amount of clothes I can actually fit into at this stage!

Stretch Marks? Nothing new, but my sister told me this week that she got stretchmarks on the top of her belly with Danielle... YIKES! Totally going to keep applying my Cocoa Butter Oil.

Sleep? I keep having weird dreams... whether it be the people in my dreams, the situations that I am in, or the location that they take place.... I've even had a few in Belgium where we only speak in french! Outside of dreams, my legs hurt quite a bit Saturday after prepping the month's meals, so it took me a looonnnngggg time to forget the pain and fall asleep. Last night I dreamt of my 20 year reunion, but instead of having it at a hall, it was a concert room, and everyone was surrounding a stage. It was SOOOO strange, and annoying because we couldn't mingle or visit and it was hard to hear each other.

Best Moment this Week: Seeing a chiropractor that said with a few changes to my routine I should be feeling better in a week! 

Miss Anything? Wine - Red Wine, specifically Shiraz. Not sure where that flavor came into play, but its been on my mind this week.

Movement: I have been feeling little earthquakes for the past week. My guess is that she is kicking my bladder - it feels like when someone drops a rock in a lake - and the water splashes and laps and waves for a moment or two. It's kind of strange when it happens... you're like "WTH!" and then you remember that you're pregnant and that its probably the baby. LOL.

Food Cravings: Baked Potatoes. We tried to make one at home last night, but it just wasn't the same caliber as the BJ's one last week. 

What Makes you Queasy: Chicken. and Peanut Butter. I have gotten past every other aversion it seems, but those two continue to send me reeling. I hope that this peanut butter aversion doesn't mean she (like her father) is allergic to peanuts. That would make me very sad. Alas, almond butter is a tasty substitute. I just wish they didn't come in glass jars - I keep being clumsy and breaking them - and almond butter is like $7 a jar!

Gender: Still a girl, no word otherwise of yet.

Labor signs? None

Symptoms: Fatigue, muscle pain, back pain, waddling. The chiropractor I saw said that it seems my hip flexors are SUPER tight, which is throwing off my height (one side was 2" shorter at first measurement!) and my gait (of course, I am walking crooked as a result.) The hip flexors are the muscles above the inner thighs, they are the muscle that houses the sciatic nerve... so when they get tight the sciatic becomes compressed causing lots of other problems. We are trying very diligently to stretch them back out... currently though the most comfy position is near fetal position... even laying flat hurts like heck!

Wedding Rings On or Off?  Off I think they will fit right now, but I am too tired to try. Ive placed it in a very safe place until after the baby is born and I don't have to worry about it.

Mood: Saturday was very productive, Alicia and I made a month's worth of meals for 3 families (we've started cooking for her boyfriends family as well). It was a lot of work but everything looks amazing and we can't wait to try them!

What's the Daddy-to-be Doing? He is playing catchup for work. He is spending his labor day collecting his time sheets by client, which is just as tedious and boring as it sounds. He is currently behind since June, when the companies only business client became extremely needy. The schools and his paperwork have been behind ever since. Hopefully they can figure this mess out soon so that I can get my husband back at least a few hours an evening and on the weekends. It's becoming a bit annoying!

DADDY SIDE NOTE! Jeremy was feeling the baby's heart beat last night, and she kept kicking his fingers... he said it felt like little waves that were breaking up the heartbeats. :) I told him that's what the kicking feels like to me! :) He got to feel her kicks for the first time too!

Notes to the Little One: I just can't believe how big you are getting! I can see and feel you much more these days. The other day you scared the bajibbers out of me when you were moved all the way to the right! My whole belly was over there! The earthquakes I have been feeling are a little strange too. Our friends Ignacio and Cecilia laughed when I told them how much I dislike the weird feelings of being pregnant. (They are pregnant too! Can't wait to meet little Leonardo in a month!) I can definitely say that, though I will love you forever and ever, this 9 months will not be the best time of my life. It will be the hard time that I had to go through to get you. The sacrifice before the blessing! And of course it will be worth it, it is not fun - for me at least!

On a happy note, Mommy had some help around the house this weekend! Alicia came back after our crazy cooking day on Sunday to help me clean the house - from top to bottom! She did such an amazing job that I am still on cloud nine! Filled with glee at my happy, clean house! :)

NOTE TO MY READERS:
No picture this week, but next week I should have a new ultrasound pic from Dr Medrano and I will try to take an updated belly pic! We will have a new 3d (BABY TV!) ultra sound pic the following week. :) Hopefully she is more active for that appointment than she was the last!